Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-08-04

here hau been window, bnt 1t had
been long since boarded over. TS retreat
was to rush. .iato the arms of her pursuer,
whose wild cries rang in her ears again.
Her heart sunk within her rs she realized
how hopelessly she was entrapped.
The door was but shattered frame
which hung upon one hinge, SO that it
could afford her no protection. However,,
she showed wonderful self-possession as
| she cried out in clear, ringing tone:
Hold, Mr.. Mitchell! Why do you pur-
sue me?"
lie was Just entering the adjoining room,
and stopped abruptly at the sound of her
voice.
What do you mean by this conduct.
Mr.. Mitchell9" she continued, with calm
ness that surprised herself.
"Oh, Alliel Allie!" he cried. "are you
afraid of me that you flee thus?"
She realized that her only hope was in
conciliating him. + rtunately for her
purpose the pallor of her countenance
was not clearly seen by him in
the remi- darkness; equally fortunate for
her, too, was it that she could not see the
fearful distortions of his hageard yisage,
else she should not have acted her part
SO calmly.
mo, no, Lang" she replied, mot afraid
of you. But your appearance was so sud-
den and you seemed angered with me.
What have done"
"Come, quick, Allie!" he implored; "fy
with me! They are after us!" and he
glared around him like wild beast at bay.
No one is after us, Lang. You are let
ting your reason get the better of you.
Even my folks do not know am here"
| Her words were not without their effect.
He appeared calmer, and his voice lost
something of its harshness as he said:
"You will go with me, Allie?"
"Where do you want me to go, Lang?"
Anywhere TO escape them! Come!"
"Iou may go ahead, Lang. will fol-
| low soon."
But he was not to be deceived so easily.
! "No, no, Allie. You do no. love me or
you would fly with me at once. But you
SHALL" and he started forward.
"Yes, yes; will go, Lang, only wait q
moment. must rest, am SO tired"
| "And I will sit beside you, darling. If l
can only be with you, do not care for
them"
She uttered wild, piercing scream as he
started toward her, his distorted visage
cleaning with fiendish look of triumph.
He was barely midway upon the floor,
however, when the rotten timbers gave
away with crash and the mad man went
down into the cellar covered with the
debris.
As his ghostly face disappeared Allie
sank against the wall, weak from the fear
full strain upon her nerves.
The mailman lay moticnless amid the
ruins. He was struck by one of the fall
ing timbers, it was afterwa,d found.
Finding he did not move Allie looked
around for an avenue of escape. There
was none except by the window, and she
turned to tear off the boards, when the
sound of footsteps arrested her attention.
moment later her lover, Frank Lane,
appeared upon the scene, attracted by he,
cries as he was coming up the road to meet
her.
i "Oh, Frank" she said, "saye mel" and
sank to the floor in swoon the next mo-
ment.
! He soon reached her side, when, bearing
her TO the open air, she revived, and they
started for her home.
| A party of men We're quickly aroused tc
undertake the capture of the madman. II
was easily done, for he lay pinned under
one of the floor timbers. His injuries
proved fatal, and it seemed better that his
unhappy existenc had ended.
4 1t was a long time before Allie could
pass the site of the ruined house without o
shudder, and she never forgot her fearful
adventure.